A peek inside the artist's brain at work

I am a member of a healer’s group that just had a big 4-day workshop in Chicago. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the entire session because we had to bring our exchange student, Hazuki, back down to East Lansing on Saturday and say farewell to her. 😦 We will miss her! But after that, my daughter Aster and I boogied to Chicago to catch the last day of the Oneness Healing event.

When we got there Saturday evening, everyone was excited to tell us about an uninvited but very welcome attendee.

Dave the Dove had arrived at the hotel on Wednesday evening, at about the same time as most of the rest of the participants. Pure white but rather bedraggled, he actually entered the lobby and had to be shooed out, but then was sighted in various spots outside the hotel before finally settling in to keep vigil just outside our conference room.

He seemed to like the energy, because he stayed there through the entire weekend. By the time I got there he was looking splendid and healthy with his shining white feathers and ruby red feet. (Was it the positive vibes we were sending out or simply the crumbs one of our members threw him each morning? Guess we’ll never know, but I suspect a piece of each.)

Why was he there? I think he carried a message of hope as the world makes the shift into a higher spiritual plane.

But Dave surely was there also for a specific person in the group. During one of our meditations three of us (myself and two others out of only a dozen or so healers) independently had white dove imagery come in for this person. And she told us afterward that the dove does have special significance for her.

When the time came for us to leave, we looked around for Dave to say goodbye, but he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he knew his purpose there had been fulfilled.

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Usually when spirit animals come in for me, they are ones that are native to North America where I live. Or at least domestic animals I’m familiar with. However, the other day I did a spirit animal art reading for a person living in another country. I found it interesting that the animal that came through for her was not one I was even very familiar with.

I thought I’d share the reading as it will apply to anyone who is drawn to Red Panda energy.

About Red Pandas:

Red Pandas are native to the Himalayas. About the size of a large house cat, they are much smaller than the better-known Giant Panda, and are probably not closely related to them. However, just like Giant Pandas, they base their diet on bamboo. (They also eat other things including acorns, flowers, eggs, insects, and small animals.) They have a special adaptation on their thumb that helps them grip bamboo, but it also makes their front paws nearly as useful as hands. A Red Panda’s beautiful red coat and striking facial and tail markings make it an exceptionally beautiful creature.

Red Pandas also resemble the North American raccoon with their ringed tails and their habit of washing their paws in water before eating. In fact, they are quite clean animals and spend a lot of time grooming themselves all over like a cat.

Female Red Pandas are only fertile one or two days in a year. Once mating has occurred, the fertilized eggs don’t implant right away. Scientists think this helps to ensure the cubs are born at the time that will be best for their survival. Males don’t help raise the cubs, so the female must take care to hide her young safely in a den – usually in a hollow tree or rock crevice.

Red Pandas are nocturnal and mostly solitary. They are great climbers and spend much of their time in trees. Unfortunately they have become endangered because of habitat loss.

Red Panda spirit animal meaning:

Gentle Red Panda carries the message that you don’t need to be aggressive or loud to succeed or make a difference.

You are most likely a very sensitive person and although you may have one primary talent, you are most likely able to learn quickly and pick up easily on new ideas and new tasks. You are probably an independent thinker and self-directed worker, but able to also get along with and work well with others. You can enjoy being part of a team – as long as you are respected for your contributions and can retreat from the crowd when you need to.

It is important for you to find a place for yourself to connect with your inner world. Like the Red Panda, you may find that the outer world and modern society encroaches so much on your life that it limits your ability to thrive. You will need to insist on protecting the time and space you need in order to nourish your soul through whatever activities you are drawn to – perhaps yoga, meditation, quiet reading, walking in nature, or just plain sitting and daydreaming. These activities are important not just for recreation but in order to “fill your cup” so you can be highly productive when you need to.

This is especially true for your creative projects (whether it’s creative expression through the arts or through a business or social endeavor). You may find that once you get an idea for a project you may need to let it “gestate” for a while in your mind before the time is right to bring it out into the world. Be careful who you speak to about it during this time. You will need to protect your ideas from negative people while they are developing.

Early morning and/or nighttime are power times for you. These times are likely to be very productive times for you- either for your work or for spiritual activities.

Finally, Red Panda signifies the ability to develop your spirituality to a high level while remaining grounded in practical life. If you find yourself feeling ungrounded, head for the trees. Remember how a tree reaches for the light at the same time as it clings to and receives nourishment from the earth. If you are feeling stressed, going and spending some time in a wooded area or even just hugging a single tree will help you feel better and come back to center.

Yes, I do custom Spirit Animal and Angel art readings.

They include an original painting or drawing based on your personal energy, as well as a written and/or recorded interpretation of its message for you. Great for personal growth or as a gift for an adult or child. Message me for details!

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Where I live in Negaunee, MI, we have a lot of old abandoned apple trees within walking distance of our front door.

Some of them are not much to speak about, but some of the trees have surprisingly good apples. This time of year you can gather them by the bag full.

I really love those apples. Some are sweet, some are pretty tart, but they all have wonderfully complex flavors that you just don’t find in modern apples. And the trees are so generous in sharing their bounty!

Here is my daughter Aster and Hazuki, the Japanese student we hosted for 2 weeks, with Hazuki’s first apple pie. The girls made it from windfall apples they gathered from those old trees, and the pie was AMAZING!

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Just had to share something that came through the other day during the Spirit Animal class I just finished teaching.

We were doing an exercise on shapeshifting and one of my students experienced herself as a butterfly. She found herself noticing that butterflies don’t see the way we do.

Butterflies are insects, so of course they have compound eyes. That means, in effect, that they see in all directions at once – indeed an animal super power!

You are probably already familiar with the Butterfly as a symbol of transformation. But if you resonate with Butterfly energy, you might also want to explore this animal totem as it relates to vision.

Butterfly can remind us to look at things from multiple angles to get a higher perspective. Or it can be a symbol of the unity of life – how all things, and all experiences – past, present and future (represented by the butterfly being able to see forwards, backwards and sideways all at the same time) – are ultimately one.

I’ve never seen this Butterfly spirit insight written anywhere, but it feels right. Just one example of how working with your spirit animal directly can deepen your understanding of your totem.

I’m gearing up to start another session of my online class sometime in early to mid October. Details forthcoming! If you’re interested in learning more about how to work with spirit animals, shoot me a reply, and I’ll be sure to notify you directly.

If you want to change your life, start first with loving yourself. Your own loving attitude is like the warm rays of the sun that allow your soul to grow.

Sometimes it’s hard to feel loving towards ourselves, especially when we let ourselves down. It can help to think of yourself as a very small child, just learning how the world works.

If a very young child falls on her face, do you beat up on her for her mistake?

Of course not! You comfort her and set her back on the ground to try again. And you trust that she will learn to walk and then to run. Sometimes the act of falling is just what she needs to help her learn!

Stop beating up on yourself. If you fall down, brush yourself off, give yourself a hug, and set yourself down again in the right direction to take the next step towards the Light.

I just wanted to share another angel reading I channeled recently. Part of the message that came through is something that I think any busy person could benefit from. I know it hit home for me:

“You may feel you are working hard but even when there is not time to rest long you will find that just between oar strokes there is an opportunity to rest. Your heart beats continually, yet it rests in between each beat. Rhythm and consistency are more important than duration.